I'm sold.  I was sold during the playoffs.  Rajon Rondo is the best player today.  Just kidding.  But, Chris Paul is the best.  He may not be as athletic, score as much, flash as much as Kobe, but he makes his team more betterer overall.   He's also not as ugly as LBJ (kidding aside, the Hornets without Paul are worse than the Cavs without LBJ, that sounds scary so maybe it's real close).

Why do people call Kobe the best?  Is it the big marketness?  Past history?  The idea that LBJ has to win a title before we can incorrectly call him the best?

Am I nuts?  Paul is THEE guy that makes the Hornets so good.  It's right there and no one gives him enough credit.

In the poll below, you'll have the oppurtunity to agree with me.  Now, that's smart pilitickin'

For that matter he barely plays respectable D. 

I love Martell.  He's one of my favorites.  But, there've been numerous comments about Martell's D and how awesome it is.  I'd like to get a little perspective here because it looks pretty shabby to me.

Everyone used to agree with me.  Then Webster talked about how was going to work hard on his D.  Now, everyone keeps talking about him as if he shutdown Kobe, Lebron in a two on one fastbreak. 

He's got the potential.  Sounds like he has the will.  He hasn't shown the skill yet, though.

If I didn't know BEers were the smartest people in the world, I'd suspect a few people were only listening to comments instead of watching games.

Does anyone agree with me, or has he shown something in the offseason that's got folks all happy?  Mortimer, Dave, Ben, Uppercut, wanna weigh in and let me know why I'm wrong?  I'm open to the possibility that I'm wrong. 

I just posted this on the Kings Blog:

I think it's the least we can do for them.  If you would please now refer to the Kings as the 2002 NBA Champs, I'd certainly appreciate the correction. 

First off I'm a Blazer fan.  I came over to read the draft thread from last night.  You guys are seriously funny.  We certainly appreciated all the good humor and 'in good nature' Blazer hating.

You're also a small market team, much like Portland.  The cities are different in many ways, but you're culture is fairly similar.  You're going through what we went through a few years ago. 

Last night was especially tough for you.  Maybe Thompsen works out.  He looks good to me, but I'm stupid.  We'll see.  Either way, missing out on Bayless and Augustin must have been torture.  I felt it for a few minutes before I realized what KP was up to.  I love Petire, but you probably could have had one of those players if Petrie really did his homework.

Because you seem like a great blog, and because of the similarities I mentioned and the tough times you've been having, I'd like to do two things for you. 

First, I'd like to invite you to become Blazer fans.  The timing's right, and now that you've had a formal invitation it's not like you're just jumping on some bandwagon.  You harcore fandom is not in question because we're pretty close as far as teams go, we all hate the living bejeezers out of the L*kers, and other reasons.

The other thing I'd like to do for you is to award the Kings the 2002 NBA Championship.  I don't care how many times I'm called a conspiracy theorist, that was your championship, and from now on when anyone ever asks me who won the 2002 NBA Championship, I will say it was the Kings.  I'll also make sure to ask my fellow Blazers Edge bloggers to do the same (though I can't promise they will).

I hope this helps you guys feel a little better about last night.  It's been a long time coming, but the 2002 Kings are finally awarded the title they deserve.  If anyone knows of a good and extremely cheap jeweler, I'd be happy to collect funds to get some rings made.  We can send them to each of the players.  Maybe we could have them made in LA.  Anyway, you now have bragging rights.  Have fun guys.

First off I'm a Blazer fan.  I intend absolutely NO DISRESPECT WHATSOEVER, and only want to establish a level of solidarity uncommon to most fan bases.  Apparently Blazer fans are starting to get a rap for being smug, so please, please, don't take it that way.  Based on your comments last night it seems like you're friendly and reasonable people (my favorite line was: i'm gonna drink until i can't fel feelings).

I came over to read the draft thread from last night.  You guys are seriously funny.  We certainly appreciated all the good humor and 'in good nature' Blazer hating.

You're also a small market team, much like Portland.  The cities are different in many ways, but you're culture is fairly similar.  You're going through what we went through a few years ago. 

Last night was especially tough for you.  Maybe Thompsen works out.  He looks good to me, but I'm stupid.  We'll see.  Either way, missing out on Bayless and Augustin must have been torture.  I felt it for a few minutes before I realized what KP was up to.  I love Petire, but you probably could have had one of those players if Petrie really did his homework.

Because you seem like a great blog, and because of the similarities I mentioned and the tough times you've been having, I'd like to do two things for you. 

First, I'd like to invite you to become Blazer fans.  The timing's right, and now that you've had a formal invitation it's not like you're just jumping on some bandwagon.  You harcore fandom is not in question because we're pretty close as far as teams go, we all hate the living bejeezers out of the L*kers, and other reasons.

The other thing I'd like to do for you is to award the Kings the 2002 NBA Championship.  I don't care how many times I'm called a conspiracy theorist, that was your championship, and from now on when anyone ever asks me who won the 2002 NBA Championship, I will say it was the Kings.  I'll also make sure to ask my fellow Blazers Edge bloggers to do the same (though I can't promise they will).

I hope this helps you guys feel a little better about last night.  It's been a long time coming, but the 2002 Kings are finally awarded the title they deserve.  If anyone knows of a good and extremely cheap jeweler, I'd be happy to collect funds to get some rings made.  We can send them to each of the players.  Maybe we could have them made in LA.  Anyway, you now have bragging rights.  Have fun guys.

David Lee is a hustle guy.  Beyond this I don't see him being a great player.  But, ever since he showed up in a trade rumor (please don't discuss the trade here, but just the player), Blazer fans seem to really have taken a shining to him.  I don't see it. 

There's some toughness, and I know folks are think we'd be better off to improve with some tough love at PF, but I'm not one of them.  While I wouldn't mind him in a Blazer uni, I don't see any reason to get excited.

Am I missing something?  Who is David Lee?  What are his strengths?

Is it possible that because KP is rumored to be interested in him that Blazer fandom instinctively thinks he's great?  I have to say that if KP like someone, I'm inclined to as well.  It's just the trust we have.  But is that all it is?

Again, this post isn't about the trade, whether it's realistic or not.  It's about the player.

On Martin Luther King Jr day I posted the question of whether refs rig the game.  I got absolutely hammered in the comments.  People said I was everything from an idiot to an irrational nutcase.  The overwhelming conculsion by BEers was that the refs were just bad, and that I was paranoid for questioning whether it was coordinated. 

I don't want to encroach on Dave's topic (if I've already done so, let me know and I'll delete it). 

The question I want to ask is how many times have you been told you were an idiot for proposing the 'fixed' scenario or even the 'influenced' scenario?  Did you cry? 

Oh, and one more think, we need to relabel the 'conspiracy theory' as 'it's a business theory.'  These are VERY seperate things, the nuance of which I've for so long failed demonstrate.

PS My friends called me an idiot the first time I said the WWF was fixed, that Santa wasn't real, and that there was most certainly a degree of corruption in presidential election that would be tantamount to electioneering.

Do the Bulls take Rose?  If they do, does that make Hinrich available?  Is that someone we want? 

I know almost nothing about the guy except that he's on Chicago's roster, he's pretty good, Pippen called him a midget, he's supposedly better than Blake.  Personally, I don't think we need him and hope we wait, but I'm assuming he's going to attain Calderonesque status around here.  So, let's get to know him.

blzrfan posted the video from the end of last night's LA-Utah game on this post

http://www.blazersedge.com/2008/5/15/509968/what-s-wrong-with-the-play

I'm bringing it to a new post because after watching it a bazillion times, and laughing so hard everyone in the office came to see what I was looking at, I started thinking that Boozer is a better defender than that video shows.

In the video, you can see Gasol (shove?) move Okur out of the way, grab a rebound, go up for a dunk.  Boozer's right there on D, could easily have fouled or altered the shot.  The guy doesn't even leave his feet.  It's funny to me, but I can't help wondering (as the hated Boston fan in my office did) whether there's something else going on here.  Is it possible that Boozer intentionally played no D there?

Go to the page, look at it.  Or if blzrfan could post it, I'd really appreciate it.  AND MANY THANKS TO BLZRFAN FOR POSTING IT IN THE FIRST PLACE.

We've heard that line a million times: it takes a superstar to win a championship.  This just doesn't seem true to me.  Sure, they're usually there, but there's superstars all over the place that have yet to win.  Think Kidd, McGrady, Kobe -Shaq and roles, Garnett, Nash, Malone, Stockton.  Now, think of the Superstars that have won: Kobe +Shaq, Shaq, Duncan, Wade.  What about the Pistons?  There's no discernible Superstar on that team.  Sheed could have been, but he's not.  Billups isn't.  The supers that won championships also happened to have freaking awesome backup role players.  Do the lakers win in 2000 without Horry and that umentionable greasy haired guy?  I don't think so.  Saying a superstar wins championships is like saying a light bulb lights a room; it's apparently true but relies on other necessary conditions.  THe room has to reflect the light otherwise there's nothing to see.  A superstart can't win a championship by themself just like a light bulb can't light a room without reflection.  But the room can relfect light from other sources jsut like a team full of role players (the pistons, very good ones of course) can win a championship.

Stars shine bright, but they don't win championships.  They win dunk contests! TEAMS WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS.  The consistent factor in winnning it all is that your team OVERALL is very good.  Superstars may raise the ability levels of the other players, but those other players need to make shots like Horry at the buzzer.  Look at what Miami did to their roster.  They kept the supes but lost the roles.  How're they doing?  Shaq didn't even feel like playing for them after that.  

The reason I'm posting this is because I've heard it said that we don't have a superstar and that we need Greg to be that.  How many of you think this is true?  Do we really need someone to take over the game?  Do bail us out?  Seems like we have that potential already.  Why do we need someone that draws all the media attention, makes flashy plays, whines, makes those dumb "I'm a badass face" a la LeBron?  Why is that important if we have a higher total level of talent and desire?

A team leader is different from a supe.  A leader inspires players, makes them practice harder, play harder.  A supe may be that, but it's not necessary.  Duncan and Garnett are both leaders, but Garnett is an unbearable jerkwad while Duncan is surreptitiously whiny but couth.  Do we need leadership or stardom?

This is kind of a rant, as pride in the NBA is at an utterly unjustifiable level.  A superstar like LeBron would be much better to be proud of an accomplishment like winning a championship rather than is affinity for the Yankees, his privelledged lifestyle and relationship with an equally hubristic rapper.  I hate superstars.  I'm a hater.  I said it.